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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22441696">A fork in their path</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame'>flightinflame</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Disabled Character, Erik has Issues, M/M, Mutant Powers, Power Swap, Telepathic Bond</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 12:02:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,576</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22441696</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A recruitment mission goes wrong, with some interesting effects:<br/><i>Charles could feel the wheelchair around him, and it wasn't a pleasant experience - when he was in Erik's mind, he could tell that the metal felt like part of him. But at this moment, it all felt rather too much, overwhelming around him, and he wanted to scream, no longer sure where he ended and the chair began.<br/>Erik squeezed his shoulder, and that felt real. That was solid and secure, that was something he could trust. Erik was still his rock.</i></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, Hank McCoy &amp; Charles Xavier, Illyana Rasputin &amp; Piotr Rasputin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>98</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A fork in their path</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you to lourdesdeath for their amazing work betaing this</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Charles groaned slightly, shifting over to rest his head against Erik's shoulder. His head felt like it was exploding, agony bursting through. He'd had migraines before, especially when he was younger. He'd often had days in the lab when his brain felt like it was going to explode, but... it had been a long time ago. Before Erik's return, before Cuba, before Oxford. Most of these blinding headaches had been before his father's death.</p><p>He heard a sudden howl of pain from beside him, the noise sharp, echoing in his aching mind. He pushed himself into a sitting position, and immediately realised two things. </p><p>One was that during the night, Erik had managed to summon the metal of the room around them, meaning Charles had a couple of belts, four watches, countless cufflinks and a fork stuck to his bare skin, and the other was that his partner was curled up in pain, sobbing, trying to muffle the noise with his hands over his mouth, and a moment later a flash of Erik's memory shot through him. He could taste the terror Erik had felt, and then he could see Schmidt's face, smiling down at him, calm as he reached for a blade.</p><p>"Erik!" Charles shouted for him, reaching out, shaking his shoulder. "Erik. Erik, please."</p><p>There was a pause of a few moments, and then Erik's eyes snapped open, eyes shining.<br/>
"Charles... Charles it's... it's so bright..." Erik gasped. "And so loud." </p><p>He waved his hand, to close the small gap in the curtain that light had snuck through. And nothing happened. The metal rings didn't obey his command. And panic-terror-horror flooded Charles, strong enough to make him retch.</p><p>"Charles," Erik looked at him in panic. "I ... I can't..."</p><p>"You've just got a headache, I do too," Charles promised, trying to ignore how brightly Erik's terror burned him. "No wonder, you tired yourself last night, look at this-" He reached down, picking at an old cufflink that was lying on his skin, just above his hip. It didn't move. </p><p>Frowning, Charles prodded it again, and the small item remained stubbornly stuck in place, almost as though it had been glued there.</p><p>"Erik?" <i>You're overusing your ability, you must have had a nightmare or...</i></p><p><i>No, Charles. Be quiet, I need to remember-</i> Erik started, and Charles found he was staring blankly at the wall. He couldn't make any sense of what was being said, couldn't understand, or think, and he could see Erik getting more distressed, but he couldn't do anything about it or think anything about it until Erik leaned in, tears running down his face, and squeezed Charles's hands.</p><p>"Charles, please speak to me-" he was saying, and suddenly his words made sense again. Charles nodded slowly, and Erik sobbed again, embracing him, and Charles's head was hurting even worse now. </p><p>"Erik?" Charles whispered. "What's happening?"</p><p>"I... Try reaching for Hank," Erik instructed.</p><p>Charles closed his eyes, searched for the familiar sense of Hank's mind. It wasn't there. No minds were, other than Erik's beside him, as loud and certain as it ever was. He couldn't make sense of it. The others should be here. He groaned, pulling himself to sitting up, and then looked at Erik.</p><p>"I can't feel him. I can't feel anyone."</p><p>He closed his eyes and tried to reach out, but everything was blank. There was nothing, not even the mind of a bird or a beetle. Instead there was something else, something that he couldn't quite understand - not the sense of a foreign mind, but something that was almost part of himself, tangled throughout the building.</p><p>He followed it, realised it was lying against him, and when he opened his eyes again he could tell each point matched a point where the metal was against his skin.</p><p>"I… I can feel him," Erik whispered. "Charles, please, I can trust you."</p><p>"Always."</p><p>"I've asked him to come and sedate me. I need you to help him, and help me," Erik pleaded, and then things went quiet for a moment. Erik's mind was opened to him. And Charles felt sick, because he could understand, even if he didn't like it. And he could still understand minds, even if he couldn't use... He pushed those thoughts aside, allowing his mind to embrace Erik's own, to distract him and keep things quiet.</p><p>The door opened and Hank stepped in, and the fear got louder and more painful, and Charles held Erik close, trying to soothe him until suddenly, the pain stopped and the pressure that had filled Charles's mind lifted away.<br/>
And there was silence. Erik's mind was cut off from him as Erik fell back on the bed, his breathing slow and even. Hank looked down at him, still holding a needle, but he felt strange, his words seeming to echo slightly.<br/>
"Charles?" Hank asked curiously, and slowly Charles nodded, trying to breathe slowly and fight down the nausea he was feeling. He could feel Hank's glasses, the coins in his pocket, the buckle of his belt. What he couldn't feel was Hank's mind. </p><p>That mind that had called out to him, that had become his closest friend - it wasn't there. He couldn't feel it anymore, and he wanted to cry, but Erik was drugged beside him, and he had to do something. He poked at one of the cufflinks stuck to his skin, trying to move it away, to get his thoughts straight so that he could focus. It didn't respond, and he could have cried at that, but he made himself remain calm. </p><p>"Charles, what's going on? Why did Erik reach out to me?"</p><p>In despair, Charles tried to push forwards the explanation, to present his reasoning all tied up neatly in a bow, but Hank didn't hear it. Couldn't hear it. He swallowed and cleared his throat.</p><p>"Did you have a nightmare?" Charles asked carefully. </p><p>Hank nodded.<br/>
"A bad one. Erik's memories, I think, it was... It was in German, and..." He shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself. Charles smiled sadly, reaching out and brushing his fingers against Erik's arm, looking down at him. He needed that physical contact when he couldn't hear the other man's thoughts, needed to know that he was still alive, still beside him.</p><p>"Do we still have Erik's helmet? I know you asked him for it for research, I'm going to need it."</p><p>"Charles, if you put it on, it might..." Hank started, and Charles shook his head, seeing the concern on his friend's face.</p><p>"No, I have to. And anyway, it's not for me..." Charles patted Erik's hair, smiling sadly at his lover's unconscious expression. At least for now he looked at peace.<br/>
"I think our powers swapped," Charles said softly.</p><p>"They can do that?!" Hank looked horrified. "What were the two of you even doing? We'd best warn Alex and Darwin-"</p><p>"No," Charles interrupted. "What... What happened? I remember leaving on a recruitment mission, but not what came next." He frowned.</p><p>"You left, and then came back, seeming shaken, you kept almost passing out, from what you said.. you got into a fight with a couple of mutants. Then you passed out, so I just... I thought it was best to let you rest, and I put you in bed together and-"<br/>
Hank explained.</p><p>Charles nodded, bringing his hand to his forehead, and trying to concentrate.<br/>
"There was a fight. Erik... Erik didn't like this guy being near this kid, so he threw..." Charles frowned. "He threw him across the room somehow, just-" Charles flicked out with his arm without thinking. His wheelchair sped across the room and crashed into the other wall with a loud thump.</p><p>"Ugh." Charles tried to get a look. It didn't appear damaged, which was a relief - normally he would get Erik to smooth over any dents in the wheelchair, but for obvious reasons that was currently out of the question. He groaned, rubbing his forehead, and wondering why things were being so difficult right now. He really just wanted the normal buzz of others’ thoughts to return, but he couldn't do that. They wouldn't return until this was fixed.</p><p>"What happened, Charles?" Hank prompted, and Charles frowned. </p><p>"There was an argument. Erik threw this guy across the room, and the girl he was with panicked, and grabbed us both tightly, and... I think we passed out? I don't know. When I looked up she was gone, and I felt awful, and Erik seemed wobbly. He got us home, because..." Charles shrugged. Erik would always get him home, he knew that. Hank frowned, looking at him closely and nodding.</p><p>"We can try and track her down."</p><p>"Carefully. She's dangerous, and I don't want anyone else in this situation..." He stared at one of the cufflinks, and it rolled down his arm, staying in contact with his skin. He groaned. "Okay, Hank. Go and get that helmet, please. And then we can go from there." His first challenge was going to be ensuring he didn't somehow crush Erik with the helmet. He groaned, leaning back against the headboard, and waiting. Hank didn't take long until he returned, carrying that hated item. Charles took it from him, placing it carefully over Erik's head, hoping that it would work this way around to protect his lover from all the pain that sudden telepathy had been causing him.</p><p>"Is there any way I could help?" Hank asked nervously, standing by the doorway and watching Charles intently, as though he thought he might fall apart at any moment. Charles wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't fall apart at any moment. Charles hesitated, then nodded. Hank was a good friend, and he knew how much Charles valued his telepathy. He was also aware what he was going to ask would sound foolish, but... </p><p>"Would you sit with us until Erik wakes up?" Charles asked, and when Hank went to nod he looked up at him. "And just... tell me what's going through your mind? Sorry, that's probably silly I just..." Charles shook his head, ashamed.</p><p>"I'm worried," Hank said carefully as he sat down, looking at Charles, meeting his eyes, and chasing away some of his fear. "I'm afraid that this isn't going to fix, or that you're going to struggle until it is. I'm keeping an eye on Erik, he's breathing fine, but I can't stop remembering the nightmare that woke me. I'm feeling guilty about leaving you two to go searching alone-"</p><p>"You shouldn't feel guilty," Charles told him gently. He turned his attention to the metal. He frowned, trying to channel up some of the anger Erik always spoke so highly of, thinking that he wanted the metal to go away. After a moment, some of it clattered to the floor.</p><p>"And I'm scared that all my secrets... I didn't mind you knowing. But now Erik will know."</p><p>"He'd never betray your trust," Charles promised. "Thank you, Hank." He reached out, squeezing Hank's hand, and Hank squeezed back and continued to talk, eyes closed, lost in various thoughts about the mechanics of powers being swapped around. Charles listened, comforted by the constant stream of words. He knew that Hank must be getting tired, that talking constantly was hard, but it helped distract him, until there was a faint wrinkle on Erik's face.</p><p>Erik always woke quickly, going from deeply lost in sleep to wide awake in the space of a couple of breaths, a side effect of his youth and a life spent on the run. Charles turned his attention to Erik, pressing his hands against Erik's own. He missed the normal routine of Erik's thoughts - the initial concern, followed by soft fondness as he registered that he was in bed beside Charles, the momentary delighted spark of seeing Charles, and then the urge to make sure he was comfortable. Instead, Erik simply stretched, and then frowned.</p><p>"I'm wearing my helmet."</p><p>"Can you hear my thoughts?" Charles asked. <i>We're going to be okay.</i> He thought the words as loud as he could in Erik's direction. Erik shook his head.</p><p>"Okay, that's good."</p><p>"I like hearing your thoughts," Erik protested, frowning at Charles, and Charles managed a weak smile. This helmet held nothing but bad memories for him, but he knew that right now it was the one thing that would keep Erik safe. He could handle bad memories for Erik's sake. He'd handle anything for him.</p><p>"What happened?" Erik frowned. "I remember it was.." he started, and then he looked at Charles, at the pile of metal beside him, at the wheelchair pushed against the wall and the open curtains. "Scheisse."</p><p>Charles nodded, reaching out and squeezing Erik's hand. "Basically."</p><p>"Do we... Can we fix this?" Erik asked, his forehead wrinkling slightly with a frown. Charles could tell there was real fear there, even if he couldn't sense it in Erik's mind right now. For Erik to be showing distress, even on a small scale - that meant he was really panicking.</p><p>"We need to find the girl that did it," Charles explained. "We're hardly field-ready at the moment. But if we can locate her and that man, we might be able to fix this." He refused to lie, and tell Erik they could certainly fix it. Erik deserved more than that.</p><p>"....What if we go somewhere quiet?" Erik frowned. "I don't like not hearing your mind."</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"We can go into the middle of the grounds. No other minds around, and we can try and see... I can take off my helmet, and you can help. How does that sound?" Erik's voice was tinged with a hint of desperation, but there was still a rationality to his words. He looked up at Charles, as though expecting a refusal.</p><p>Charles nodded.</p><p>Hank cleared his throat. "You have to stay in the grounds, you’re  both vulnerable like this. And I'd like to run some scans on both of you once you're calmer. This is an amazing research opportunity."</p><p>Erik almost growled, and Hank held up his hands in mock surrender.</p><p>"Any chance I can persuade you to compromise on observation?" Hank asked hopefully, before taking a step back when Erik glared at him. "Okay. No science. But you should try going out into the grounds together, I suspect that would work well, and it could be useful to both of you to see what it's like. Charles, are you able to transport yourself out there?"</p><p>Charles nodded, reaching out and flexing his hand. The wheelchair crashed into the side of the bed, and he flinched.</p><p>"I can move it," Erik said softly.</p><p>"I can still push it," Charles muttered, noticing he was still dressed in his trousers from the day before. He pulled on a t-shirt, dislodging a little more of the metal that was stuck to him, swung himself across into the seat, and then froze. The metal surrounding him was bright in his mind, screaming for his attention, and it took him a couple of slow deep breaths before he could look up at Erik, meeting his eyes. "I might need you to push it."</p><p>Erik helped him arrange his legs so he was resting with feet on the footplates, and then they made their way out to the grounds. Charles could feel the wheelchair around him, and it wasn't a pleasant experience - when he was in Erik's mind, he could tell that the metal felt like part of him. But at this moment, it all felt rather too much, overwhelming around him, and he wanted to scream, no longer sure where he ended and the chair began.</p><p>Erik squeezed his shoulder, and that felt real. That was solid and secure, that was something he could trust. Erik was still his rock.</p><p>Charles whimpered, twisting to press his face against Erik's hand. Erik let him. Tried to comfort him, to reassure him and let him feel whole, and it worked. The three of them crossed the garden.</p><p>Hank hesitated, then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, pressing it into Charles's hand.<br/>
"If something goes wrong, drop this on the floor, okay? We need to try and stay a safe distance from you two, but--"</p><p>"Thank you," Charles spoke softly, embracing Hank briefly then watching him leave. Erik watched his retreat, then reached out and pulled off his helmet.</p><p>Relief flooded Charles at the brush of his lover's thoughts.<br/>
<i>Charles I miss you I miss you so much but this is a lot this is-</i></p><p>"Calm down," Charles said gently but firmly, reaching out and slipping into Erik's mind, the way that Erik always came into his. Their minds entwined, the way they often did. The way that meant Charles was where he belonged.</p><p>Erik stood beside him, his hands grasping Charles's own, holding him close. For a few moments Charles simply lost himself in Erik's embrace, in the feeling of their tangled thoughts.</p><p>Eventually, Erik pulled away.<br/>
"Charles, you have a fork stuck to your arm."</p><p>"No I don't?" Charles murmured, then looked down, and realised Erik was right. "Oh. Okay." He glared at it, wondering if that would help it fall off. "It seems attached."</p><p>Erik reached out, picking it off, and then laughing.<br/>
"Oh. See here, one of the tines is short?"</p><p>"Yes?" Charles noticed it, and holding out his hand to the fork which quickly jumped back onto him. He rolled his eyes, but let it stay there.</p><p>"I used it to fix your favourite watch. You... You're probably calling it to you if you want to wear the watch." </p><p>"Oh..." Charles paused, placing the fork in his trouser pocket as a form of compromise. "At this distance, Erik, can you feel the other minds around?"</p><p>"I can, but... they're not overwhelming." Erik cleared his throat. "Is it really always so loud for you? Poor Hank was worried about… about me finding out he was born a girl and I… I'm not going to judge him for it, you know that right?"</p><p>"I know that." Charles squeezed his hand, smiling. "You're a good man, Erik Lehnsherr. And yes, it is loud. I can shield, which helps, but it's... it's a lot to manage at points. There are times I just want to put my hands over my ears, and scream until it all goes away, but I can't do that. It was harder to manage when I was younger, but it's gotten… easier, with time." He squeezed Erik's hand again, trying to find a way of reassuring him. "I can try and help you construct some shields now, if you're willing to let me."</p><p>There was a moment's pause, before Erik nodded, and he closed his eyes. Charles felt his way into Erik's mind. The entire situation felt strange, as though he was looking in a mirror while trying to do some basic task. But he could do this.</p><p>He concentrated, searching for anything that would serve as the basis. He tended to picture brick, but he got the feeling that wouldn't be effective for Erik, not compared to metal. So it was metal he used, reaching out and sharing his own perception, building up the walls, layering metal to try and protect Erik's mind from the constant onslaught that was part of being a telepath.</p><p><i>You won't take our link away?</i> Erik's question sounded urgent. This was important, and some small part of Charles felt warm at the thought that their connection mattered. </p><p>
  <i>I'll keep the connection open, don't worry. I'm not going to leave you, Erik.</i>
</p><p>Eventually, the walls were built up, and he opened his eyes, only to feel a new concern. Because when he'd begun to work on Erik's shielding, he had been sat in the chair, but now the chair was floating almost two feet up in the air.<br/>
"Erik?"</p><p>"It's alright. I'm sorry, I can't... I can't work out how to block it, just... try and think about going down."</p><p>Charles nodded, trying to summon up some anger, and nearly getting thrown by the chair. He whined, hands moving to grip the hand rests, and trying to calm himself before he was dropped to the ground.</p><p>"I... I don't know how. I'm trying to be angry but-"</p><p>"Between rage and serenity," Erik instructed, reaching out for his hand. "Deep breaths, focus on me..." </p><p>Slowly, the metal he was sat in seemed to become more responsive, letting him lower the chair down to the ground. Erik leaned down and kissed him.<br/>
"Anger is not the answer, isn't that your line?"</p><p>"I... " Charles nodded. "How is it?"</p><p>"The headache is a little better, thank you. I... I think we can go back, if you're alright staying close, and then if anything... you can rebuild the shields?"</p><p>"Always," Charles agreed, grateful he could provide his lover some comfort in this situation.</p><p>Erik's answering smile was fragile, and an overwhelming sense of relief and affection swept through their bond. Charles was glad he could give Erik this at least, that he could offer the possibility that things would be alright. </p><p>Erik's hand squeezed his, before he moved to push the chair back towards the house. Once they were back inside, he turned to Charles.<br/>
"We need to show the others what that man looked like." He frowned. "Charles, I have no idea how to project images, or..."</p><p>Charles laughed softly at his lover, and Erik frowned.</p><p>"Charles, just because you find it to be child's play doesn't mean that all of us are lucky enough to manage this. I have no idea how to describe them, or share what they looked like."</p><p>"Not everything is down to ability," Charles said with a fond smile. "You are an artist. I've seen the sketches you do of me."</p><p>"Oh." Erik considered for a moment, before nodding, raising his hand and then frowning. <i>Must remember, look foolish, can't-</i> the sudden range of thoughts poured through their mental link were dizzying, and Charles wanted nothing more than to wrap Erik up and keep him safe, but he just smiled. </p><p>"You can sketch them, and we'll get a recovery party out looking. Darwin and Alex, maybe Hank."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"Way I see it, those powers get switched and Hank and Darwin could stay calm. I think our biggest worry would be Alex throwing himself off of something in order to test the adaptation," Charles reasoned. "Plus it leaves us with Raven, who honestly is going to be the most help if someone shows up looking for trouble, and Sean because no one needs that screaming ability," Charles explained, looking at Erik for approval.</p><p>Erik nodded, then walked away to go and fetch some paper and a pen. He didn't seem to be in pain, so the shields had to be holding, but Charles's own mind felt so very empty, aside from his constant awareness of his wheelchair.</p><p>Hank brought him over some tea, and he and Erik sat together, working on the drawings.</p><p>"Do you remember anything about them? Other than the girl's ability?" Hank asked.</p><p>Erik frowned, staring down at the man's face, tapping the tip of his pen against his hand as though he was counting, before he nodded quickly.<br/>
"He was made of metal. Not totally but... when I threw him, I'd got... it wasn't clothing or something, it was him."</p><p>"And you threw him because?" Hank asked, and Erik frowned, glaring slightly, hands clenching into fists.</p><p>"I didn't like the way he was sat with the girl. The mutant kid we were trying to recruit. She looked scared, and he wasn't letting us talk to her," Erik answered. "And then she panicked. They didn't look related, but she was just a kid."</p><p>Charles nodded his agreement, reaching for Erik's hands, sending a message over the link. <i>Deep breaths. She's okay, I don't think she was scared of him, just of us.</i> Erik relaxed microscopically.</p><p>Hank considered, then shrugged.<br/>
"So she swapped you because you attacked the man?"</p><p>"I think so. She seemed frantic, and then he... he wrapped his coat around her and bundled her away, as I passed out," Charles explained. "So we need to bring them in, explain what has happened, but be careful... Maybe try sending Alex in to talk with them. He's good with kids that have been through some stuff. And anyway, like I said, if he and Darwin swap it's not a disaster."</p><p>Erik rested against Charles, his arms wrapping around Charles's shoulders, soothing him, holding him close. Charles missed his telepathy. It ached like an open wound. But the one thing that did help was the knowledge that he wasn't alone. That no matter what happened, Erik was going to be right here beside him, their mental link strong and unchanging.</p><p>***</p><p>Once a plan was made, it didn't take long for the others to head off. Charles and Erik both excused themselves from their teaching duties, blaming it on severe illnesses. Whilst some of the pupils had seemed doubtful, most were just happy to get a morning off of classes. </p><p>Erik had found some small metal marbles for Charles to practice control on. Charles had refused to practice with anything sharp, and for obvious reasons Erik had wanted to avoid using a coin. So it was a small metal marble that now floated above Charles's hand, as he tried to concentrate on it. To weave it in and out of his fingers. It was a gesture he had watched Erik carry out countless times as he was doing other things, but now it was taking all of Charles's concentration to keep the metal floating, without zooming off into the ceiling or clattering onto the floor.</p><p>Reluctantly, he folded his fingers around it, rubbing his forehead and sighing.<br/>
"That... could have gone better."</p><p>"It took me a long time to learn," Erik said quietly, and even with the shields he could see the memories that were being conjured up. Charles swallowed, feeling a little sick, and reached out for Erik's hand, squeezing gently.</p><p>"I've got a better teacher," Charles promised. "I am sure, if we couldn't fix this, I'd be doing remarkable acts in a few days. Levitating cars, pulling boats out of lakes, you name it."</p><p>"So confident," Erik answered, but his smile was playful now rather than pained, and his concern seemed to have faded. Charles was glad about that. He didn't want to ever cause Erik any pain, and hated dragging up memories that should have been buried.</p><p>There was a vague bulk in the corner of his awareness, and he prodded Erik in the side.<br/>
"Can you go and look out of the window?"</p><p>Erik wandered over, and nodded.<br/>
"They're back. The three of them, two other minds. One is angry and confused, the other is scared. I can't... I can't separate the thoughts easily, it's a mixture of people, but those two are... they're clinging to each other. They trust each other. She's scared, but-"</p><p>"But she trusts him to keep her safe," Charles contributed, reading through the connection. "That's good. It means she's not being hurt. We go, we introduce ourselves and then hopefully we work out what happens next, how does that sound?"</p><p>Erik headed over towards the door, and Charles frowned in concentration, making his wheelchair lift a couple of inches off the ground. Trying to trust in his ability, he nudged it forwards towards the corridor.</p><p>Erik was walking beside him, as he floated the chair down the hallway towards the foyer of the manor. They'd be arriving soon, and Charles was going to try and put them at ease.</p><p>It wasn't going to be simple for him. He was used to using his telepathy, especially when he was welcoming young and frightened mutants. Being able to see potential problems, and dart around them, made his life far simpler than it would otherwise have been. But today he didn't have that option. He was going to have to try and reassure them, and persuade them to change him and Erik back, without having the use of his ability. That frightened him. </p><p>Erik stepped forwards and opened the door, and they watched as the two of them climbed out from the car. The man was tall and broad, his jaw square. He stayed in front of the delicate blonde girl that followed him out. She reached for his hand, and Erik nodded.<br/>
"You were right, they trust each other," he murmured. "The fondness he feels for her is like you feel for Raven." That knowledge seemed to relax Erik, and Charles responded by leaning against him, lowering the chair to the ground and shaking a little with the effort. </p><p>The man stepped forwards, bowing and holding his hand out towards Charles.<br/>
"I am sorry," he said softly, his voice heavily accented, Russian. "Your friends tell me that the two of us caused you both some harm, and that was not our intention." He looked up at the two of them.</p><p>Charles shook his hand. There was something about the man that felt strange, seeming to prickle at the new sense that he had gained.<br/>
"I am sorry we attacked you."</p><p>"You were trying to defend Illyana, yes?" he asked, looking towards Erik. </p><p>Erik nodded sharply, and the man offered him his hand as well.</p><p>"My name is Piotr. Illyana is… my baby sister. My darling snowflake. A precious girl." He straightened his shoulders. "I protect her. She is... remarkable."</p><p>"A mutant. Like you." Erik agreed.</p><p>"A mutant, yes. But more than that. She is magical, and a good girl. Kind. We were trying to stay away from humans, to ensure... to ensure we do not have to serve as weapons. I am willing to work. There is plenty of work I can do..." He shook his head. "I only want to protect my family."</p><p>"You have super strength? A metal skeleton or?" Erik suggested.</p><p>"Not skeleton," Piotr man answered, and his skin rippled, before it turned silver.</p><p>"That... That is remarkable."</p><p>"We thought you were going to kidnap her," Piotr answered. "You came in, looking for us. And we thought... we thought you were another group to attack. Especially when you throw me. She was afraid."</p><p>"She swapped our abilities," Erik said, frowning, glancing back at the blonde girl who was hiding in her older brother's shadow. </p><p>"I can ask her to turn you back. But you will not... you will not take the two of us? Will not put us..." He shook his head, reaching back, strange metal fingers closing around his sister's own, pulling her closer.</p><p>Erik flinched, and Charles could feel fear through their bond, the way that Erik was worried at the idea of mutant children facing the kind of experimentation that he had grown up with. </p><p>Charles wheeled forwards. He didn't have his telepathy, but he had spent years now, looking after frightened mutant children. These two - the man was almost an adult, and he looked intimidating, but he was afraid. He was protecting his sister.</p><p>"We want our abilities back. But either way, we can help you. No one will experiment on you." Charles laughed nervously. "We want to be fixed, but even if it's not possible... if it's not possible, we can..." He shook his head. "We'll help you."</p><p>Piotr turned around, speaking to his sister, the two of them conversing in Russian, and then Illyana stepped forwards and nodded.<br/>
"She can help. We will help you," Piotr told him. "We are… truly sorry that you were hurt."</p><p>"You don't need to be sorry," Charles promised. </p><p>The girl nodded.</p><p>Hank stepped out of the car, Alex wandering over to Piotr and flashing him a thumbs up, which Piotr returned with a nervous smile. Darwin grinned, hand on Alex's shoulder.</p><p>Illyana placed a hand over Charles's, and one over Erik's, and took a few deep breaths. A pink light surged through them.</p><p>"You need a few minute. For things to settle," Piotr explained, and paused. "Perhaps, you should go inside now? Alex promised he would make us cocoa."</p><p>Charles nodded, using the borrowed ability he still possessed to lift this chair up into the air, soaring along towards the kitchen. The others followed, all watching them closely, the young girl hiding behind her brother.</p><p>Charles's telepathy surged through him, and he could feel the minds clustered around him. Hank's concern, Darwin's confidence, Alex's care. Above them all, almost blindingly loud, was Erik's relief, as every fragment of metal in the mansion sang out towards him. He had melted some of the change in his pocket, causing the coins to merge together, lost in the sensation of them once more. </p><p>Charles turned to him, and smiled.<br/>
"We're doing okay."</p><p>"We are," Erik agreed, leaning in to brush his lips to Charles's forehead. "Do you still have that fork?"</p><p>Charles nodded, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing the fork that had seemed quite so affectionate towards him. Erik hesitated only for a moment, before turning it over in his hands and smiling.<br/>
"You know, I could make you something with this. Cufflinks perhaps,"</p><p>"That sounds good." Charles nodded, brushing his fingers over the metal surface of the cutlery. He supposed he'd grown rather attached to it. "I'm glad you're able to do that now."</p><p>Erik nodded, leaning in for an embrace. <i>I’m glad I’ve got you now. Back where you belong.</i></p><p><i>Always,</i> Charles promised, holding onto him.</p>
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